The Forgotten Spy

This book has been one of the most difficult, challenging and enjoyable that I’ve ever written and it would not have been possible without the help and support of some very special people.

Firstly, a big thank you to Elly and Heather at Heather Holden Brown Agency for securing the commission with Blink Publishing and Clare, Karen and Joel for their belief in the book and professionalism in turning it from concept into reality. Your support and brilliant work is really appreciated and it is quite literally true that this book could not have been written without you.

One of the biggest debts of gratitude must go to my research collaborators on this project, Ned Kershaw, Susan and Anthony Stanforth, and Michael and Eileen Barratt. I’ve been picking away at Oldham’s story ever since Susan and Anthony had flagged up the fact that his MI5 file had been released to the National Archives in 2002. Susan was the first person within my family who reviewed the file and realised the significance of the story and followed up
with research in relevant secondary literature. Michael was already regularly sending over snippets of information from the USA about the Oldhams and Holloways, gleaned from his store of family knowledge and ceaseless research online – since this is a book about revelations and secrets, it is fair to state I am
not
the main genealogist in my family! The resolution of his childhood story of adventure from 1933 was thus solved by accident and I was provided with a convenient ‘badge of honour’ for my subsequent work on
Who Do You Think You Are?
. In particular, I must thank Anthony and Susan for painstakingly reviewing the text for errors; if any remain, they are of my making.

Yet unknown to us, Ned had already conducted some amazingly detailed research into Oldham’s life, fascinated by the fact that this extraordinary story had been overlooked completely in the histories of the period – attention perhaps naturally gravitating towards the Cambridge spy ring and subsequent Cold War espionage. I say unknown, but Ned first made contact with me in 2006 after my connection to Oldham had been featured in the
Telegraph
; we swapped emails and then drifted out of touch. However, out of the blue, Ned resumed correspondence again in January 2014 just before I was due to give a talk about Oldham at the National Archives the following month; with extraordinary kindness, he agreed to share his thoughts, research notes and chronology during the preparation of this current work. Without his collaboration, this book would not have progressed in the direction that it has taken, as quickly as it has.

I would also like to thank some other people who have contributed to this book – mainly for their willingness to look things up at short notice! Michael Meadowcroft, honorary archivist at the National Liberal Club for investigating Henry George Holloway; Juliette Desplat for wading through the Mitrokhin archive at Churchill College and assisting with Russian pronunciation; Nigel West, who also came to the February talk at the National Archives and shared his views on the subject; John Simkin for his advice, and general contribution to the Spartacus Network, a great online education tool for anyone who’s not viewed it already and Genevieve Bovee, who must be tired of post-midnight emails asking for ‘just another quick look-up that’s urgent’, but nevertheless always delivers the goods. Finally, I am indebted to Emil Draitser for
answering my final panicked questions and sharing his recollections of meeting Bystrolyotov in person. His book,
Stalin’s Romeo Spy
, remains the standout work if you want to fully understand the danger, drama and difficulties that a spy in the 1920s and 1930s faced.

However, as usual, I leave the biggest vote of thanks until last, which goes to my family. I am often asked how I find the time and headspace to write, living in a house surrounded by four small children (and at the time of writing a fifth on the way). It’s easy – they are a daily reminder of what’s important in life, a sense of perspective that was clearly missing from Oldham’s existence. So this book is partly for Elizabeth, Charlotte, Chloe, Alice and the one-who-will-be-named (though I doubt whether Ernest or Lucy will feature highly on the list of options). I must also profusely thank my mother, who encouraged me to ‘write stories’ since I was at school and now helps with the children. However, the final and unending debt of gratitude remains with my wife Lydia, who is a constant support, tower of strength and source of inspiration; she is surely on the path to sainthood for coping with the children while I lock myself away to write. The line always goes up.

Dramatis Personae

Introduction

Chapter one
– An Ordinary Life (1894–1914)

Chapter two
– Inside the Foreign Office (April–August 1914)

Chapter three
– In the Firing Line (1914–1918)

Chapter four
– The Paris Peace Conference (1918–1919)

Chapter five
– Deciphering the New World Order (1920–1924)

Chapter six
– The March of the Bolsheviks (1924–1927)

Chapter seven
– Lucy (1927–1928)

Chapter eight
– The Hunt for ‘Charlie Scott’ (1929–1931)

Chapter nine
– Agent ARNO (1931–1933)

Chapter ten
– Break-in at the Foreign Office (July–August 1933)

Chapter eleven
– A Noose Around his Neck (August–October 1933)

Chapter twelve
– Cover Up (1933–1974)

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Endnotes

Index

This is a complex story with many different characters. To help keep track of the key players, here is a summary of their names and positions (code names given in brackets).